Technological innovations and other changes in society have an influence on the gambling market. Thanks to VR and the technological innovations of smartphones, the gambling market is expected to grow rapidly in size and popularity. In this article we will go into depth on some of the gambling trends for 2017 and how companies can integrate this in their business strategies.

Continued increase in gambling via smartphone

EGR is predicting that in a short period of time, the mobile phone will be the most used platform for gaming and betting. The total mobile phone marketshare in the iGaming market was 45% in 2015. In the meantime this marketshare has grown past 50%. Companies are starting to see that the smartphone is becoming more relevant when it comes to gambling. EGR states that suppliers are now developing games with the mobile phone as starting point instead of the traditional desktop. Mobile phones are a way of reaching more people than any other platform. This gives enough reason for suppliers to roll-out a complete marketing-communication strategy especially for mobile devices. Research shows that 20% of all smartphone users have used their phone for online betting. The expectation is that the total income of mobile betting will be more than one billion euros in 2018. The Netherlands is one of the densely populated countries when it comes to people with an smartphone. This fact, in combination with the increase of mobile gambling, makes the Netherlands very attractive for gambling suppliers.

Social media and betting

Currently, there is a big online community who is dedicated to betting. Examples of this community are: Facebook-pages and -groups, websites showing which bookmaker has the best odds etc. The expectation for 2017 is that this community will grow further in size. Companies can use this dedication by actively engaging their users and giving them the opportunity to connect their betting account with social media (just like the game Candy Crush already does). We are living in a society in which sharing is becoming more important than ever. People like to share achievements or other content with their friends. An example of this is people discussing the best possible bets and odds online on websites or other social media. A social media platform especially for betting purposes is something that can not be excluded in the future.

Virtual Reality

The development of virtual reality also has influence on the gambling market. There are different ways how VR can be integrated into gambling. VR can for example be of use when playing a VR casino game on a mobile phone in combination with VR-glasses. This can boost the intensity of the gambling experience. There are already a few casino’s that offer VR (888, Leo Vegas, Poldercasino and NetBet.com) and try to be ahead of the competition. Another example of VR integrated into online gambling are VR-roulette tables and VR-casino which can be visited from the couch at home. These examples are only the beginning, we think that VR in the future will eventually be a big part of online gambling.

Pay through the phone bill

It is a possibility at a lot of Android apps for a while now, purchasing apps etc. on your phone bill. This actually means you have the possibility to pay the amount of money on top of your phone bill instead of paying it right away. For now the payment method is only available for Android users in the Netherlands. No one knows when Apple will give Dutch users access to the payment method on iOS, but they can’t stay far behind Android. When you pay through your phone bill you get your purchased item immediately. Meaning that if you want to make a deposit to your cash balance, you would receive the money and can start playing right away. Through this method no credit card is needed and in-app purchases become easy accessible. The expectation is that this payment method will be used more often than other methods.

Live gambling

The intensity of customer experience plays a big part in modern-day society, this also goes up for gambling and betting. Players are looking for a more intense gaming experience. The global gambling report of EGR shows that live casino games have grown in popularity the last few months. The so called “live dealer” helps gambling brands to gain more trust. The table and cards that are drawn are real and helps the brand gain more trust from its users

Live betting also increased a lot in popularity. With live betting players get the chance to place a bet on a match that has already started. Big bookmakers such as Unibet and Ladbrokes are offering live betting (also named in-play betting). The continued fluctuation of stakes and changes in the match make live betting exciting. In the present, more bets are placed live than pre-match.

eSports weddenschappen

As mentioned by us before, eSports and betting are a combination that we will see more often in the future. There are already possibilities to bet on certain tournaments through a few websites (like GGBet). The expectation is that the offer and variation of eSports betting will increase this year. Betting on eSports matches will be as common as betting on regular sporting matches. However, the target group that the bookmakers need to focus on with eSports is different from the regular users. Companies have to form a completely new strategy focussed on eSports, which is not applicable to other sports.
.